Conundrum
by Simeon The Conqueror
Summary: After Naruto asks Sakura for a date Naruto finally realizes who Sakura is. Sakura, who never had intrest in Naruto, now does, and Naruto has no intrest in her.
1. Irony

If you've read any of my other stories this is going to have the same layout as the other one. Nine chapters per book.  
  
Conundrum—A Naruto FanFiction By Matt Sterling Book One: Falsehood Shows Through  
  
Conundrum—Chapter One  
  
Naruto ran as fast as he could through the city, dodging people, animals, garbage cans, whatever got in his way. He stopped at Sakura's house, panting as he put his hands to his knees. He looked up at the house, smiling as he walked inside, letting himself in. Sakura and Sasuke were sitting on Sakura's couch when Naruto came in, confident as ever, they were talking, but now Naruto interrupted them.  
  
"Sakura! Will you go on a date with me!" Sakura's face jumped to surprise as her mouth opened and she was in shock. The shock soon turned into anger as she shouted.  
"NO! NARUTO GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Naruto, who then followed Sakura's path to anger was first shocked, then angered.  
"FINE!" he stormed out of the house and slammed the door shut. Sakura, somehow, was pulled to follow him out the door, she didn't know why, because it was the first time she'd ever got Sasuke alone with her in her own house, but she had to follow Naruto. She flew out of the door and looked around, Naruto was walking to the right, up the street, his hands in his pockets.  
"Naruto!" she shouted. Naruto kept walking. "Naruto!", again, Naruto kept walking. She ran up to him, feeling the cool wind of the sunset. "Naruto. . ." she said walking with him.  
"What Sakura. . ." his voice was soft, he stared at the ground, his eyes almost closed, a sad look.  
"Why. . .did you—"Naruto interrupted her.  
"Because after all the times that I spent on you, I saved your life, I followed you around, I tried to be your friend, I did whatever you told me to or asked me to and I thought that after all that I might get a little reconciliation, but no I didn't. I see who you are now, you're one of those people who chase and chase and chase after something they can never get. They obsess over it, spending day and night on those things, and you know what Sakura? I was one of them. But I see now." His anger was bitter, and almost every word was spit out in fury.  
Sakura, who still kept up with him, stared at him deeply, her mouth open, and she started to think about what he had said, and she stopped. Naruto kept walking. She finally came to a conclusion. "You know what Naruto. . ." she said loud enough for him to hear. He stopped, not looking at her, keeping his back to her at all times. "Your right."  
  
"Ino, I'm not sure about it. . .maybe. . .maybe I like Naruto. . ." said Sakura, they were eating at a restaurant, Ino smiled as she heard Sakura go on about her and Naruto's scene. "Why are you smiling?"  
Ino laughed slightly as she said, "So this means Sasuke's mine?" Sakura gave Ino a long look, then sighed shaking her head yes. "Awesome! Okay! What you need to do is figure out who Naruto likes, then make your next move, which I will tell you after you figure out who he likes."  
"But I don't know who he likes, and he wont even talk to me now after what happened. . ."  
"Hm. . .this is a tough one, but I have a solution! Okay, find Naruto, wherever he is, but make sure you catch him from behind him, and just hug him. If that doesn't work then I don't know what to do Sakura besides take the other step because that move is basically a whole hour of explaining and making up in one second. Just do it."  
Sakura thought about what Ino said for a while, a deep undisturbed thought process, un till the waiter showed up with their menu's.  
  
Naruto sat outside of the town, staring into the sky, his knees were curled up to his chest, his head buried in them. He stood up, looking into the opposite direction, the sun was setting on this side, as he then put his hand up to block the sun. The rays still penetrated the holes that his hands naturally left, and he was about to fully close it when soft, warm hands came around his neck.  
He smelled a familiar scent as Sakura moved her cheek to his own, and a warm sensation started to eradicate from it. He could not believe what was happening, despite all of his instincts and best interests, Naruto stood there, shocked in his frozen state. "Sakura. . ."  
Sasuke, who had come with Sakura, watched in horror from a distance away. He couldn't believe what he was seeing, the two seemed black ask their outlines etched the sky. After all of the time he had played hard-to- get, it didn't pay off. He could have any girl he wanted that was in the Leaf, but Sakura was special, she was the one he knew the best, she wasn't just some follower. She was the one he wanted to grow old with, but now, unless he did something, it was over. 


	2. Secret Meetings

Conundrum—Chapter Two  
  
"Naruto!" he shouted in anger. The two instantly flew around, trying to locate where the sound had come from. A fist flew into Naruto's face, and he flew back, Sasuke jumped on him threw his hands to his neck. Naruto, who hadn't moved during the whole episode, just stared at Sasuke in shock.  
That face stopped Sasuke as he held his fist high, ready to let it fall down. He gave Naruto the same face as Sakura tried to pull Sasuke off of Naruto. He fell back, trying to cope with what he had just done. "Sasuke! What's happened to you!" said Sakura s she checked Naruto's cheek to try and find any injuries. Naruto pulled himself up and looked at Sasuke, noticing what had happened to him.  
He loved Sakura too. He was in the same situation that he was in not ten hours from then, Naruto put his hand on his knee, which was arched and was the only thing keeping him up. He needed to do something to make the situation more cheery. "Nice hit Sasuke!" he said, it was the only thing that came to his mind.  
Sakura tried to go with Naruto, "Yeah Sasuke, I don't know if you can get any stronger!" Sakura smiled as Sasuke stood up.  
"I'm sorry Naruto. . .I'm not sure what came over me. . .maybe just the shock of it all I mean who would of figured. . .you and Sakura a couple."  
"Oh that's the funny thing, we aren't a couple," said Naruto. Sakura shot her head to Naruto, shocked at what she had just heard.  
"What!? Naruto!?"  
"We aren't, I never said I forgave you." Sasuke looked at the two, confused at what he was seeing.  
"Come on Naruto! You can't tell me you didn't forgive me while I was doing that hug thing!" Naruto laughed.  
"Yeah, who told you to do that, Ino? It was pretty stupid." Sakura was incredibly mad, staring at Naruto just made it worse. "Yeah well I'm gonna go, I'm hungrin for some Ramen!" He walked past the two as Sasuke watched him, following his movements.  
  
"I don't understand it Ino! Your method didn't work! You said that it was almost full proof! What the hell!" Ino laughed, this time they were sitting on a park bench. Ino put her elbow on the bench as she faced Sakura.  
"No I didn't," she said, trying not to laugh. ". . .the funny thing is, you got turned down by Naruto." She broke out into laughter as Sakura angrily stared at her, her face turning red. "You thought he was gonna like you! That's so funny!"  
"You're evil. . ."  
"I know! But it's just so funny!"  
  
Naruto sat at the Ramen Bar, looking into his Ramen, he smiled as he saw part of his own reflection, noodles covering the rest. Sasuke sat down beside him. "Sasuke! Want some Ramen? It's on. . .you."  
"No, it's alright," said Sasuke as he looked up at the Ramen Bar sign, thinking about what he was going to say. "Naruto. . .what's wrong with you?" Naruto looked up from his Ramen, giving Sasuke a questioning look.  
"What?"  
"What's wrong with you? You have the access to one of the most beautiful, smart, and wonderful women in the world, and you said no. . .why. . .?" Naruto was shocked at what Sasuke was saying. He'd never seen him so open before. "Why be a dumb ass tell me Naruto."  
"Because she's broken my heart too many times. Sasuke you wouldn't understand it, you've never had your heart broken. You're the one always breaking hearts, not receiving them. You see, I did so many things for her, even risking my life. But no, nothing. . ." Sasuke was silent.  
"But I did have my heart broken. . .just today. . ." Naruto looked at him and smiled.  
"How's it feel?" Sasuke didn't answer.  
  
Sasuke had been looking for her for over an hour, she was no where to be seen. He'd already asked Shikamaru, Chouji, Kiba, Shino, Sakura, he couldn't find her. He had given up when he sat down at a bench in the middle of the city. He sighed as he looked up at the sky. "Bye Kiba. . ." said Hinata from behind him. Sasuke flipped around, seeing Hinata walking down the street passed him.  
He didn't get up, though, he just sat there watching her go as he got a brilliant plan in his mind. He ran all the way back to the Ramen Bar. Naruto was there, finishing off his fourth bowl of Ramen. Sasuke sat down beside him, panting. "Naruto! I've got a perfect idea!"  
Naruto looked up from his Ramen. "Why do you take me away from my love of the Ramen? What is it. . .?"  
"How about we get all the guys that are in our rank and figure out what girl they are going after, and then set them up? It would be the perfect plan and with all of our knowledge put together we could get each and every one of us perfect women for us." Naruto gave him a blank look.  
"Uh. . ." Ramen hung from out of his mouth. "Sure."  
  
"Sakura! You know how you like Naruto? Well I've got a really good plan! Well I like Sasuke, you like Naruto, that's all we know, so just get in the scoop, why don't we get all the girls from around the Leaf to tell us who they like and pretend to hook them up with their dream guys huh? How you like it?" said Ino, laughing. They were still at the park.  
". . .I don't know. . ." said Sakura. She sat on the bench, her knees to her chest.  
"Oh come on!"  
". . .Whatever. . ." her voice was soft.  
  
Secret Guys Meeting  
Guests—Naruto, Sasuke, Kiba, Shino, Shikamaru, Chouji, thirteen other unnamed guests  
  
Secret Girls Meeting  
Guests—Sakura, Ino, Hinata, Tenten, Ramen Girl, seven other unnamed guests  
  
Story of their meetings in next chapter! 


End file.
